Imagine losing your job, your partner of husband or wife leaving you, getting a terminal illness, a burglar breaking in and stealing all your stuff when you’re out, or your dog or cat suddenly getting hit by car…
The most severe part of the impact we feel when we lose someone or something in our life comes from us either not being prepared for it, not expecting it or not even imagining that losing it is possible.
But if you picture what it would look like, feel like and be like to lose the person or people, pets or things you care most about (when you have them) and if you can’t imagine what life would be like without, it helps you be ready for when it happens and also helps you to be able to live your own life without an irrational dependance that them (or anything) will be around forever. You will lose everyone and everything, it’s just a matter of when.
And not only does this approach lessen the blow should you lose anyone or anything, it also helps you see whether you could actually live without them, how important they are to you, as well as helping you appreciate the time you actually do have them in your life.